Arm or leg exerciser



April 6, 1965 B. PosATsKY 3,176,985

ARM OR- LEG EXERCISER Filed July 17, 1952 V III (Man 45 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,176,986 ARM R LEG EXERCSER Eohdan Posatsky, R0.Box 553, Santa Clara, Calif. Filed July 1'7, 1962, Ser. No. 216,521Claims. (Cl. 272-80) This invention relates to mechanical exerciserdevices and more particularly to an arm or leg eXerciser.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arm or legexerciser that will be especially adaptable for physical therapy andwill be eflicient in operation whether in vertical or horizontalposition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an arm or legexerciser that is adjustable for varying individual requirements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an arm or legexerciser that can be mounted on a frame and attached to a door by meansof C-clamps.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an arm or leg exerciserbearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has aminimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eiicient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a Vertical view of the present invention shown in elevationand partly broken awa` FIGUREI 2 is a fragmentary side View taken on thelines 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the frame;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the lines 4-4 of FIG- URE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a side view of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an exerciser 1G made inaccordance with the present invention is shown to include a base plate12 with a U-shaped bracket 14 iixedly secured centrally of the uppersurface. An elongated eye rod 16 is freely received Within bracket 14and is pinned by pivot pin 13 which is received through eye rod andbracket 14. A shoe 2d having an asbestos lining 22 secured to its bottomsurface is in frictional engagement with the arcuately curved surfacesof bracket 1d. A hollow and circular cup 2d abuts with the top of shoeZtl and freely receives a coil spring 26. The upper end of coil spring26 is freely received by cup 2S of circular configuration. A knurledtension spring nut 30 is threadingly received by eye rod i6 above cup 28thus providing adjustable tension upon spring 26. An internally threadedbushing 32 is threadingly received by eye rod 16 and provides foradjustment in height of exerciser 10 and a lock nut 34 secures it inposition. An elongated tubular sleeve 3d is freely received at the upperend of eye rod l5 and a spherical knob 38 is iixedly secured to theupper end of sleeve 36. A sandal is secured to sleeve 36 below knob 3Sby a pair of circular clamps 41 which are adjustable so that sandal 40may be slid up or down upon sleeve 3d. Sandal 40 has a plurality ofelongated and rectangular slots 42 which receive adjustable straps forholding the limb of an individual. A pair of parallel bars 46 having aplurality of openings 48 are secured to a pair of parallelly spacedapart cross bars Si) having a plurality of openings 52. Bars 46 withcross bars 50 provide frame means for clamping to a support structuresuch as a door or a chair. A pair of clamps 54 are secured one to each'bar 46 and are adjustable by threaded screws S6. Clamps 54 are securedto bars by fasteners 5S.

As previously described, the frame means comprising the bars ld and thecross-bars 52 is secured to a door, chair or any suitable supportstructure through the clamps 54. The base of the bracket A can besecured to the 3,176,986 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 'ice frame by means ofsuitable fasteners passed through the holes 4S.

In operation, the individual using the device places his leg or arm inthe sandal 4i) and straps it into place with the straps provided. Whenplacing a foot into the sandal 4), the position of the foot will be tohave the heel rest against the wide Wall section and the toes projecttoward the narrow wall section. With an oscillating motion he carriessleeve 36 back and forth and the asbestos lining 22 provides frictionagainst the arcuate curved vertical sides of bracket 1:4. When a chairis desired to be used, the fasteners are placed into the openings 48 andthe exerciser is secured to the chair. When it is desired to suspendbars 45 and their cross bars Sil clamps 54 are placed over the edge of adoor and the clamp screws 56 are rotated until clamp 54 is secured tothe door.

It will be noted that the radius of bracket ld may be taken from thepivot pin 18 or directly beneath depending upon the desirability offorward or backward motion to increase the tension.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction it shall beunderstood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as deliri-ed by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l. A limb eXerciser comprising a bracket with spaced confronting wallshaving conforming semi-cylindrical configurations along the peripherythereof, a rod having the proximal end thereof disposed between Saidwalls, said rod being formed with an opening in the proximal endthereof, a shoe carried by said rod, friction lining attached to saidshoe in confronting relation with the periphery of said walls, a pivotpin carried by said walls and received by said opening in said rod forsupporting said rod for pivotal movement, said shoe being spaced fromsaid pivot pin a predetermined distance whereby said friction lining isin continuous frictional engagement with the periphery of said walls,and a coil spring freely receiving said rod and arranged to transmit aforce upon said shoe to urge said shoe toward said walls for maintainingsaid friction lining in frictional engagement with said walls.

2. A limb eXerciser comprising a bracket with spaced confronting wallshaving conforming semi-cylindrical conligurations along the peripherythereof, a rod having the proximal end thereof disposed between saidwalls, said rod being formed with an opening in the proximal endthereof, a shoe carried by said rod, friction lining attached to saidshoe in confronting relation with the periphery of said walls, a pivotpin carried by said walls and received by said opening in said rod forsupporting said rod for pivotal movement, said shoe being spaced fromsaid pivot pin a predetermined distance whereby said friction lining isin continuous frictional engagement with the periphery of said walls, acoil spring freely receiving said rod and arranged to transmit from oneend thereof a force upon said shoe to urge said shoe toward said wallsfor maintaining said friction lining in frictional engagement with saidwall, and means adjustably positioned along said rod for abuttingagainst another end of said spring to regulate the frictional engagementbetween said friction lining and said wall. i

3. A limb exerciser comprising a bracket with spaced confronting Wallshaving conforming semi-cylindrical coniigurations along the peripherythereof, a rod having the proximal end thereof disposed between saidWalls, said rod being formed with an opening in the proximal endthereof, a shoe carried by said rod, frictional lining attached to saidshoe in confronting relation with the periphery' of said Walls, a pivotpin carried by said Walls and received by said opening in said rod forsupporting said rod for pivotal movement, said Shoe being spaced froml'said pivot pin. a predetermined distance whereby said friction liningisin continuous engagement with theV periphery of said Walls, a coilspring freely receiving said rod and arranged to transmit from one endthereof a force upon said shoerto urge said shoe toward said Wall 'formaintaining said friction lining in frictional engagement withsaidrwalls, means adjustably positioned along 'said rod for abuttingagainst another end of said spring to regulate the frictional engagementbetween vsaid friction lining and said Wall, and a sandal carried by the'free end of said rod and adapted to receive a limb ofan operator. l

4. A limb exerciser as vclaimed in claim 3 and including means foradjustably securing said sandal along the free end of said rod.

5. A limb exerciser comprising a frame adaptably secured to a supportstructure, a bracket detachablyl secured to said frame, said bracketbeing formed with spacedv confronting Walls having conformingVsemi-cylindrical configurations along the periphery thereof, a .rodhaving the proximal end thereof disposed between said Walls, said rodbeingvformed with an opening in the proximal end thereof, a shoe carriedby said rod, friction lining attached to said shoe in confrontingrelation with the periphery of said Wall, a pivot pin carried by saidWall and received by said opening in, said rod for supporting said rodfor pivotal movement, said shoe being spaced fromV said pivot pin apredetermined distance whereby said friction lining is i-nvcontinuous-frietional engagement with the periphery of said Walls, and a coilspring freely receiving said rod and arranged to transmit a force uponsaid shoe to urge said shoe toward said Wall for maintaining saidfriction lining in frictional engagement with said Walls.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES YP NTENFS 1,535,391 4/252,126,443 s/ss Bagley 272-60 2,825,324 Y Anderson 272-79

3. A LIMB EXERCISER COMPRISING A BRACKET WITH SPACED CONFRONTING WALLSHAVING CONFORMING SEMI-CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATIONS ALONG THE PERIPHERYTHEREOF, A ROD HAVING THE PROXIMAL END THEREOF DISPOSED BETWEEN SAIDWALLS, SAID ROD BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING IN THE PROXIMAL ENDTHEREOF, A SHOE CARRIED BY SAID ROD, FRICTIONAL LINING ATTACHED TO SAIDSHOE IN CONFRONTING ELATION WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WALLS, A PIVOTPIN CARRIED BY SAID WALLS AND RECEIVED BY SAID OPENING IN SAID ROD FORSUPPORTING SAID ROD FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT, SAID SHOE BEING SPACED FROMSAID PIVOT PIN A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE WHEREBY SAID FRICTION LINING ISIN CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WALLS, A COIL SPRINGFREELY RECEIVING SAID ROD AND ARRANGED TO TRANSMIT FROM ONE END THEREOFA FORCE UPON SAID SHOE TO URGE SAID SHOE TOWARD SAID WALL